Cough

Coughing is the body’s way of removing foreign substances and mucus from lungs and upper airway passages or of reacting to an irritated airway. In simple words, coughing is an attempt by the body to protect the lungs. Coughs can have many causes ranging from allergies, cold or flu, asthma, weather or seasonal changes, respiratory infection, pneumonia, tuberculosis, bronchitis to lung cancer. Some people have a nervous cough that becomes a habit. A cough may be simply dry, and irritating (dry cough), or it may bring up mucus (productive cough). Some prescribed drugs can also cause coughing.

Cough Symptoms

Dry cough: Simply dry, and irritating .

Productive cough: It may bring up mucus .

Home Remedies for Cough

Eucalyptus oil: Inhale essential oil of eucalyptus. Add a few drops of the oil to a vaporizer and breathe in, make sure your eyes are closed. It has a soothing and calming effect on the respiratory system, which can help alleviate a cough.

Honey and lemon: Take honey and lemon which will ease cough and encourage healing.

Licorice: Boil 2 tablespoon of licorice root in 2-3 cups of water for 10 minutes and drink the decoction several times a day. Licorice decoction helps to alleviate coughs, especially a dry hacking cough which produces phlegm with a postnasal drip.

Cloves: Place 2-3 cloves fried in ghee and suck.

For dry cough

Banana with honey and black pepper: Eat a ripe banana with 1 teaspoon of honey and 2 pinches of ground black pepper, twice or thrice a day.

Turmeric: Boil 1 cup milk with teaspoon turmeric and teaspoon ginger and drink this at night. This will relieve the cough due to pharyngitis or laryngitis.